Protect Yourself From Rental Scams
An unfortunate reality is that there are plenty of rental scammers out there who are looking to trick you and take your money. These people often will advertise on Craigslist, Facebook or other places to entice renters to sign up for homes that don’t exist or aren’t renting at the time.
To help protect renters, we’ve organized a few common red flags you should be aware of as you search for your next rental home.
STOP if you encounter any of these:
- Upfront payments requested before you can see the property.
- Request for cash-only payments. Reliable landlords are able to accept a cashier’s check or money order.
- Some scammers use properties for sale, a nonexistent address or a business address to lure people in. Take time to research the property address and search the landlord’s information to make sure they are legitimate.
- Some scammers pull ads from different neighborhoods, cities or even states and then make them seem like they are in your town and for rent. Look at the photos or address and make sure the property is in your area.
- If the rental price listed seems too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure you know what comparable rentals in your area are going for.
If you suspect fraud or were a victim of rental fraud:
- Report the incident to local law enforcement
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov ↗
- Contact your local Virginia Legal Aid Society at VLAS.org or the Legal Aid Justice Center at JUSTICE4All.org ↗
- Report the scam to the State Attorney General’s Office at OAG.State.va.us ↗
- Contact the website, newspaper or other source of the ad immediately